According to the AXIOS website, two people familiar with the matter said that Israel began its attack on Iran in the early hours of Saturday local time in retaliation for Iran's massive ballistic missile attack on October 1. Iranian state television reported explosions in several areas, including Tehran. U.S. and Israeli officials are confident that Iran will respond militarily, but hope it will be limited and allow the two adversaries to break the cycle of tit-for-tat. Ahead of a possible Israeli attack on Iran, the U.S. military has increased its presence in the region in the past few weeks. The goal is to deter Iran from responding and help Israel defend itself against another round of Iranian missile attacks, U.S. officials said.